The rebuttal by Dr. Robert Stackpole is respectful and convincing. I hope visitors here will take the time to read it, but I'll summarize a few points:
- Translations of Sr. Faustina's work was originally smuggled out from behind the iron curtain.
- The Italian translation of the work was faulty and the original documents couldn't be reviewed as long as the Communists ruled Poland. This lack of the original documents and mistranslations led to the condemnation and ban prior to Poland opening up.
- Once the original documents were available and analyzed, the ban was lifted by the same Congregation that imposed the ban.
- Criticism of the Divine Mercy image for not showing the Sacred Heart of Jesus ignores all the sacred images that do not show Christ's heart including the crucifix, images of the Resurrection, icons of Christ, etc.
- Devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Divine Mercy devotion are complementary.
The website where I found Dr. Stackpole's article is a wealth of information on the Divine Mercy devotion and I plan to spend some time there. (Catholic Culture gives them a good rating.)
I could just take the original post down, but I think in our confusing times people need to know the reasons something is wrong. If you can address the errors in an argument, you have a much better chance of protecting others who might be influenced by it.
How sad there is still so much misunderstanding about this Devotion to this day!!!!!Let the world wait to learn the full Message of Divine Mercy when Blessed Pope John Paul II is canonized on the Divine Mercy Sunday - 27th April, 2014. He is the "spark"from Poland whom Jesus told Saint Faustina would fulfill His Will to have the Divine Mercy Message reach the ends of the World and the Divine Mercy Sunday - the First Sunday after Easter - be solemnly promulgated for the Universal Church. And that Feast which Jesus demanded on 22nd February, 1931 was established on 30th April, 2000 and Sister Faustina was canonized on the same day as the First Saint of the 21st Century.
ReplyDeleteWe have Devotion to the Sacred Heart. Why do we need a duplicate devotion? If Sr. Faustina were not Polish, would St. John Paul II have promoted it?
ReplyDeleteThank you.
You're not the only one who feels that way, Anonymous. I have mixed feelings myself, but, on the other hand, there are many similar devotions, many different Chaplets, so perhaps this is just one more to attract the different flowers in God's garden.
ReplyDelete